Instead of a typical Best Of recap episode at year's end, I thought it'd be fun for Cameron Schaefer -- partner and head of music at Vinyl Me, Please -- to return to the show to look back at each of VMP's 12 albums of the month for 2016 and talk about why each record was chosen, the reactions to each release from subscribers and other vinyl fanatics, and what challenges or unexpected awesome surprises awaited them during the process. From Nada Surf to Nina Simone, Big Bill Broonzy to Beck and everything in between, this is a great way to learn more about the how's and why's of the selection process for Vinyl Me, Please which continues to wow long-time collectors and first-time spinners year after year. If you'd like more info on VMP's back story and Cameron's own relationship with vinyl, don't forget to go back to episode 19 of Vinyl Emergency, when he made his first guest spot!

SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; Vinyl For A Cause, promoting charitable good, one record sale at a time; Table-Turned, a new vinyl subscription service giving you your choice of genre for as low as about $12/album.

Follow @VinylEmergency on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Show questions and feedback are always welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com. Sign up to be a part of our LIVE audience Sat., Jan. 14th in Chicago at vinylemergency.com!

Pioneer of podcasting and stand-up comedy veteran Jimmy Pardo joins me this week to discuss his memories of vinyl growing up, working in Chicago record stores, his sales career with MCA Records in the mid-80's, warming up audiences for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and TBS' Conan, and possibly his shortest comedy gig ever, "opening" for Elton John! As host of the incredibly popular Never Not Funny podcast, Jimmy also talks about the fantastic work the show has done for cleft palate charity Smile Train during their yearly Pardcastathon, having raised almost $800,000 since 2009. Jimmy's 2005 album Pompous Clown is now available for the first time on vinyl from astrecords.bigcartel.com, and Pardcastathon 2017 takes place this coming March! Subscribe to Never Not Funny however you listen to podcasts, and follow @jimmypardo and @nevernotfunny on Twitter!

SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; Vinyl For A Cause, promoting charitable good, one record sale at a time; Table-Turned, a new vinyl subscription service giving you your choice of genre for as low as about $12/album.

Follow @VinylEmergency on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Show questions and feedback are always welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com. Sign up to be a part of our LIVE audience Sat., Jan. 14th in Chicago at vinylemergency.com!

After a long break, it's the big 4-0 today, and I'm thrilled to have music industry guru Jim McDermott joining us for our fortieth episode! From Warner to PolyGram to Island to Universal to Sony, Jim's three decades of experience in marketing have seen him at the helm of album campaigns for the likes of David Bowie, New Order, Sheryl Crow, U2, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, The Replacements and more. In July of this year, he began his own podcast -- How To Fix The Music Business -- where he chats with insiders and musicians to find out how the industry can survive and still fuel artists both creatively and financially. In this chat, Jim drops lots of great industry knowledge and we also discuss how ditching his vinyl in the CD era actually led to his career in music, his early and current vinyl obsessions, a funny backstage meeting with The Cure's Robert Smith and why sending fake dog poop in the mail can sometimes work wonders! Check out How To Fix The Music Business however you listen to podcasts or at HowToFixTheMusicBusiness.com, and follow Jim on Twitter @thetrickness.

SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; Vinyl For A Cause, promoting charitable good, one record sale at a time; Table-Turned, a new vinyl subscription service giving you your choice of genre for as low as about $12/album.

If you like what you hear on Vinyl Emergency, send us a screenshot of your iTunes review of the show or donate to keep us up and running (either by December 10th) and you'll be entered into the Mint Condition Coalition, giving you entry into a gigantic giveaway at the end of 2016 for records and swag from Vinyl Me Please, Warner Bros., Topshelf, Wax Mage, Hey Mercedes and much more. Visit vinylemergency.com and click 'donate' for more info! Follow @VinylEmergency on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Show questions and feedback are always welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com.